Indian descent man sentenced for sexually abusing boy on plane
Darpan News Desk IANS, 31 Jan, 2022 12:23 PM
New York, Jan 31 (IANS) A man of Indian descent has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy, who took pictures of the assault on a plane, according to the Justice Department and media reports.
Judge Nancy E. Brasel handed down the sentence to Neeraj Chopra, 41, in a federal court in Minneapolis, acting prosecutor Charles J. Kovats said on Friday.
He was found guilty in July of the incident in April 2019 but sentenced only this month.
According to prosecutors, Chopra had used a blanket to cover his lap and and the right leg of the teen and "began inappropriately touching the victim" while on the flight from Boston to Minneapolis.
"Chopra ignored the victim's multiple requests to stop and continued to inappropriately touch the victim," prosecutors said.
The legal media outlet, Law & Crime, citing court papers reported that the victim was a boy who had asked Chopra to stop the abuse and when it continued took pictures of the assault, which were produced in court as evidence.
The victim's older brother, who was seated in a row in front of him, reported seeing his brother cry and alerted their father who switched seats with the victim, the publication said.
Chopra was met by law enforcement when the plane reached Minneapolis.
The publication reported that Chopra had "admitted to touching the boy inappropriately, but said it was because he was asleep and having a bad dream 'about a family member being killed'".
The Central Bureau of Investigation has begun the process of filing an extradition request for Nirav Modi, which will then have to be approved by the UK Home Office following which an extradition warrant can be issued.
A fresh threat issued by Sikh radicals to Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu during an event, “Referendum 2020-Khalistan”, in California on June 10 has alerted the intelligence agencies.
A 28-year-old Indian-origin student in the UK has been racially attacked by a white man, shouting “Brexit, go back home” after the Briton made sexist remarks towards a hijab-clad woman, media reports said.
An Indian-origin man has agreed to pay more than USD 136,000 and to a permanent ban on offering tech support services as part of a settlement with US federal authorities over allegations that he provided substantial assistance to an India-based tech support scam.
London-based Andria Zafirakou, who won the 2018 award founded by the Varkey Foundation, also urged parents and pupils in India to put forward their most inspirational teacher for the prize.
